Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel (* 1851 in Orléans, Loiret, † 1913 in Nemours, Seine- et- Marne) was a French painter and illustrator.

Life

Boutet de Monvel came from a family of artists; his first art lessons he learned from his father. Later he came to Paris at the École des Beaux -Arts and was a pupil there, among other things Gustave Boulanger, Alexandre Cabanel, Emile Auguste Carolus -Duran and Jules -Joseph Lefebvre.

Through his teacher was allowed him to participate regularly from 1874 to the large annual exhibitions of the Paris Salon. In 1900 he was invited to participate in the Weltausausstellung in Paris.

To 1910, Boutet moved back to Nemours. There he died in 1913 and found his final resting place.

Reception

Apart from his teachers Boutet de Monvel was also influenced by the Japonism, as well as by the Pre-Raphaelites. With his book illustrations he set standards, and be publicized 1896 book " Jeanne d' Arc " in which the story of Joan of Arc is told for children, is still considered groundbreaking for the illustration of children's books. Along with the famous English children's book illustrators such as Randolph Caldecott, Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway and other Boutet de Monvel one of the outstanding illustrators of the Art Nouveau.

Works

• Vieilles chansons pour les petits enfants et rondes. In 1883.
• Chansons de France pour les petits Français. In 1884.